Go on a Brick Safari at Brookfield Zoo

If there's one thing my kids love its animals and LEGOs, and now the best place to see both is at Brookfield Zoo's Brick Safari this summer. From now through May 29th, brick lovers can see over 40 animals in brick form. We had a chance to check it out and we...

Exploring Matthiessen State Park with the Family

When I was planning our visit to the Starved Rock area, I kept hearing great things about Matthiessen State Park. Some people even said that they preferred Matthiessen over Starved Rock. Well, that was enough to pique my curiosity -- we just had to check it out...

A Family Fun Stay at Grizzly Jack’s Grand Bear Resort in Starved Rock

Last weekend we ventured to the Starved Rock area where we spent some time reconnecting and unwinding. (Read about our hiking adventure here.) Our home base was Grizzly Jack's Grand Bear Resort located right across the street from Starved Rock State Park - literally....

Have plans for Mother's Day? Want to support a wonderful organization before getting pampered or getting your brunch on, how about running a race with me to support a great cause? On Sunday, May 12 I'll be donning my running shoes and superhero gear again to take...

Let me reintroduce you to one of our favorite libraries in the area - the Algonquin Area Public Library. They have two branches -- one at Eastgate and the main one at Harnish. We'll chat about the main one because that's the one we frequent more. I've raved about the...

On our way to Ohio, we got off I-65 by West Lafayette in Indiana, also known as the home of Purdue University. Located between Chicago and Indianapolis, the Lafayette area boasts two iconic places in the area to get some grub - Triple XXX Family Restaurant and Igloo...

As an avid reader, I'm always on the lookout for books that my kids, as well as I, can enjoy. If you're looking for a feel-good novel about finding hope where you least expect it, consider Scholastic's A Drop of Hope by Keith Calabrese. Disclosure: I received this...

Curious about where your food comes from? Feed your curiosity and visit Fair Oaks Farm, a modern-day farm off of I-65 in Indiana. It's an education adventure, or in their words, ag-venture. And now is the best time to visit the farm with the addition of their...

When I heard that Fair Oaks Farm, the modern working farm off I-65 was building a hotel, I couldn't wait! In the past, we enjoyed learning more about farming, seeing all the cows and pigs, and stopping by The Cowfe for awesome grilled cheese or ice cream. Now that...

Reading is one of our family's favorite things to do, and we love adding new books to read to our collection. I especially love it when I can support a local momma at the same time. So when Chicago-based momma, Lori Orlinsky, approaches me to review her latest picture...

If you've been checking out my Instagram feed, you may have noticed how crazy I've gone for paczkis, the traditional Polish donuts usually filled with jelly or some other sweet variation. Ever since I had my first bite of a paczki, I've been a fan and ever year have...

As I mentioned in our last post reviewing ShadowView Brewing, we're tasting our way through McHenry County in order to preview a couple restaurants included in McHenry County Restaurant Week. Next up - Duke's Kitchen and Alehouse in downtown Crystal Lake. As a newbie...

We love our area, but sadly we haven't dined at many of the restaurants. With McHenry County's inaugural restaurant week coming up, I thought it would be the perfect time to try out new places. We were kindly invited by Visit McHenry County to preview a couple of...